Interesting issue all round actually - maybe we should all put up all our marks and cover the entire region and then everyone would have a choice of thousands of marks and it would then be so confusing about which one to fish on the day that knowing a mark is of no real benefit? (Discussion invited here! :-) )

send me your email address and i can send you or anyone else a file with 70 odd a4 pages of accurate wreck positions it would keep you amused for a week or two

i look at ais if i am bored but it is pointless fishing marks trying to catch yesterdays fish and i am not on facebook

i have fished this area for years first on charters and then on my own tub so i would probably know where andy had that large bass through experiance but my lips are sealed

Part of the satisfaction in this game is finding the marks. It takes the gloss of the achievement if it is simply a mark you have been given. As Carl says, and it has been said before, it is how and when to fish it that really matters.

The mark where the bass came from is well known but a bit far for most on here. There are so many undiscovered marks though, especially if you venture out of sight of land. We have all the features that create the banks and rips that are enjoyed at Weymouth and Alderney so we have that standard of fishing on our door step but we have to find it.

We have the Wapello Banks, the Overfalls, the U banks, the Hardy banks, the French Mark, Hoo Bank and Selsey Middle grounds that all offer the same features as Alderney/Shambles and must offer the same fishing on their day.

I am somewhat envious of the private boat owner and would love to go back to the time when I did not have responsibility for customers. There is still so much to explore but the paying punter wants an instant result so you have to go to the 'banker' marks.

Hugh my AIS system is stand alone and the only way to switch it on/off is to shut down the boats electrical system.

becareful with radar as most raymarine sets have marpa it allows you to put a marker on a boat and the radar follows it giving you exact co-ords

i have found by accident a set of banks that go from 150ft up to 70ft then down again twiceso it looks like a massive m on your sounder.i would bet money that there are turbot on the banks i get blinkered by the wrecks and just go past but i will try harder next year

Andy, I told you ages ago that you gotta be careful with that AIS mate! Also when you post pics, if you use a smart phone it can show the coord's!!! I think you've been a bit naive here buddy, there's plenty lazy dishonourable scum out there that will get whatever they can with minimal effort!

Chances are they will never profit from it tho, as we all know that its about being on any given mark at the right time with the right technique!

I actually dont know any other charter skippers that have AIS on unless they midchannel crossing the lanes.

I know one thing mate, if they ping'd the mark that you took that big bass, I hope they try to fish it as they gonna waste a LOT of juice getting there and back each time with very probably NO result as we know how unpredictable it can be!

I was aware of marpa but you have to have access to a radar and watch it 'live' and not sat on your backside in front of a computer screen! Also it cannot be searched historically.

If you are struggling Carl pass me the numbers for those banks and I will check them out for you in the spring!

There is little difference between stalking skippers with Web AIS, and plotting marks as you go past an anchored charter - it happens. To share marks around like that is disgraceful, but is also shows ignorance because you need more than the mark, you also need to know seasons, tides, species, baits to make a mark work. I think we can become too possessive about marks, there are plenty out there, in fact I remember you turning up on one that I thought was "mine"! It is not worth compromising safety by switching it off, and I don't think your fishing will be compromised by that tw@t. Just my opinion.

Hugh my AIS system is stand alone and the only way to switch it on/off is to shut down the boats electrical system.

One option may be to get a separate standalone receiver. Just checked on google and they seem to be about £200 now (£97 for a AIS dongle to put in a laptop!). Bit OTT I know... and you shouldn't need to ...... however just an idea..... and another gadget

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